Even before COVID 19, cities faced complex social, environmental, and economic oppositions like social inequalities, climate or demographic changes. However, transformative challenges are also a chance: Medium-sized and smaller cities can attract residents and businesses by being liveable. Creating visible, collaborative and community-oriented public environments through public services and socio-cultural life, has the chance to evoke active citizenship and sense of belonging. Innovative approaches for public engagement are essential for vibrant and attractive city environments that cater to people's needs and promote collective well-being. Liveability promotes proactive efforts from city administration and enhances their capabilities in creativity, flexibility, and transparency.

Public interest design (PID), is an approach, where design is applied for the common good. It prioritises collective well-being in urban planning processes and is a suitable framework for inclusive and sustainable urban development as well as the development of public services. Liveability aims to assist local authorities by integrating the aspect of PID into city strategies and administrative processes as well as providing practical guidance to civil servants.

For this we have developed the Liveability Design Approach, this is a capacity building programme, that consists of three interlinked components, that have been developed, piloted and distributed: 1) The charter for designing the liveable city, provides a guiding framework with which cities can demonstrate their commitment to becoming a liveable city 2) a use case guide, accompanying the application of design principles in the development or delivery of a concrete public service or urban planning process in a neighbourhood, and 3) a training programme, that helps city employees understand and apply design approaches in their daily work. Cities are invited to join a transnational community, the Liveable Cities Network. It functions as a knowledge exchange platform and strives to foster the debate of Liveability in cities, transfer the components of the capacity building programme as well as awarding a “liveable city” label. Overall, it joins resources to support medium-sized and smaller cities on their journey towards liveability.